Santa Rosa police break up party at short

Santa Rosa police broke up a party at a short-term rental Wednesday night that was attended by as many as 300 to 400 people.

Officers were dispatched to a residence on the 3900 block of Flintridge Drive at about 10:13 p.m., police said in a news release. There, they noticed at least 100 vehicles.

Police said the property manager asked for help evicting the guests and partygoers because they violated the terms of their rental.

The people renting the house were from Southern California and the party featured food vendors, a DJ, a photo booth and a large bar, according to the release.

The officers contacted the homeowner, who arrived at the rental and evicted everyone from the property. Officers were at the scene for more than an hour. The property was cleared by around 11:30 p.m., according to Sgt. Chris Mahurin, a police spokesman.

According to requirements for short-term rental occupancy and parking, only two short-term renters are allowed per bedroom, no more than 10 renters may stay at the property and the number of daytime guests must be half the number of renters staying at the house, the release said.

In addition, any gatherings cannot exceed the maximum number of renters and permitted guests and only one off-street parking spot can be made available per bedroom. If the rental is in a place with legal street parking, one space may count toward the minimum of parking spaces required.

The city of Santa Rosa Code Enforcement Team, which addresses short-term rental violations, is investigating how the party was planned and whether the homeowner properly vetted the renters or was involved in the planning of the event, Mahurin said.

Sara Edwards is the business reporter for The Press Democrat. You can reach her at 707-521-5487 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @sedwards380.

Business reporter

Small businesses are the bread and butter of Sonoma County. I cover a diverse group: Chambers of commerce and business groups, clothing shops, jewelry boutiques, hobby stores and more. Economic uncertainty is a high concern among Sonoma County consumers, and it's my job to make sure shoppers know what's happening in the local economy and how those trends and issues impact them.